


A Crow's Eerie Song

by BewareTheBadger



Series: A Crow's Eerie Song [1]
Category: Arkhamverse - Fandom, Batman: Arkham Knight
Genre: Action/Adventure, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, child oc, hurt/angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BewareTheBadger/pseuds/BewareTheBadger
Summary: Prologue to a series focusing on the events of Arkham Knight, but seen through Cassie Crane's perspective of things. Having been separated for 4 years Cassie sets off to rejoin with her guardian and reclaim the years with Jonathan that were stolen from her by those murky Arkham sewers.
Relationships: Edward Nigma/Jonathan Crane, Riddler/Scarecrow, scriddler - Relationship
Series: A Crow's Eerie Song [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127873
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue to A Crow's Eerie Song

**Author's Note:**

> Would greatly appreciate some constructive feedback on this if possible. Mentions of the Scriddler ship will appear later on but Scarecrow and Riddler's relationship is a bit shaky at the time of Arkham Knight.

Seldom does a child not have hope within their small arsenal of personal weapons. Hope is the lifeblood of so many souls on this planet, no matter how old. A child without hope for the future grows to hate what could be--grows to despise change. But even one--just one little positive shift in their younger years can flip everything right back over. Multiple good willed events can fill them with hope whether that be a good grade on a test, a positive reaction from an individual who they respect, a glimpse that things are capable of turning for good rather than worse. 

Even finally finding their home.

Unwanted and undesired by her own mother, Cassie was given up to the streets of Gotham City. Left wrapped in a bundle in a damp, unforgiving alleyway on a cool August night, her fate was decided then and there that if someone never noticed her, she was just as good as crow feed. But her fate was rewritten. Cassie’s whimpers of distress eventually caught the attention of a passerby. Tall, thin, young and in one whole undamaged piece, the Gotham University Sophomore and intern at the infamous Arkham Asylum, picked up the young infant, curious as to why she was thrown out and practically left for dead.  
The tall man carried the young child away from her almost certain deathbed on the cold cement alleyway. Having been surrendered in his youth as well, the man pitied and empathized with the infant. He knew what it was like. He wanted to take her home, oh how badly he wanted to, but alas he was uneducated in the area of raising a child like this especially while she was still so young and fragile. Instead, Jonathan Crane brought her to a nearby place of refuge; Pinkney Orphanage.  
Shielding the baby within his jacket, he traveled to the orphanage, believing that this was in fact in the best place for her. Before giving her over, the young man took a mental note of one he would never forget. A feature of the child that he would keep sealed within his memory; her right eye, what would have been a shining bright blue as her left, was instead blind and glazed over in grey for no known reason. A possible birth defect perhaps?

After receiving the child from the strange man who refused to give out his name, the overnight worker happened upon a small note hidden within the blanket which protected the baby from the cool night air. The note only read one thing, “Cassie.” A name. Seemingly the child’s name. But that was all that was found.  
The kind worker who had taken Cassie from the man’s arms set her into an empty crib next to several other children her age. As soon as she was placed onto the small mattress of the crib, the six long and lonely years began in that old orphanage.

Cassie couldn’t remember how she came to Pinkney. She was never told neither, just that either of her birth parents left her abandoned. Cassie was often made the target of bigger and older kids, her one blind eye earning her the simple yet insulting nickname of, “One-Eye Cassie.” Bullies came and went, to foster homes to permanent homes. The one who stayed behind was Cassie. Just as had happened at her birth, she was once again unwanted.  
Her disability and self-protective nature from being tormented by older children who deemed Cassie under them, made adults shy away from taking her in. 

It wasn’t until shortly after her sixth “birthday,” which was really just the anniversary of her arrival to Pinkney Orphanage, that things changed for the better. Unbeknownst to Cassie, the same man who had brought her to the orphanage in the first place had returned. Now a Gotham University graduate and now a doctor at Arkham Asylum. After multiple tests, checks, re-checks and several approval papers, Cassie had found a home with whom the orphanage workers referred to her, “guardian angel”. He had saved her from that miserable death in that alleyway all those years ago and now he had rescued her from more lonely years.  
Jonathan Crane, even after 6 years after seeing her last, still recognized her. Cassie’s blind eye the color of snow and hair the color of riverbank sand were as familiar to him as rain. Never did he think that a child such as this would have such an impact on him as Cassie did. 

They had just spent another six years together when they had to part ways once again. Crane, now no longer a doctor at Arkham, but rather just another patient, was forced to surrender Cassie into protective custody until he was to be released with a clean bill of health. But he never got the chance to come back to her. Those sewers below Arkham took more than Crane’s dignity and self, they took Cassie’s chances of seeing her guardian again. She spent 5 more years in protective custody until a family in North Dakota agreed to take her in as a foster despite her controversial and strange background. The home and family was well enough but yet, Cassie fought to stay in Gotham for as long as she could.

That’s when Crane made himself known again.

Many had believed that he had perished under the Asylum, torn and eaten alive by Killer Croc.

But no, he was alive, very much alive. In pain yes, but alive. 

And this is where we find Cassie Crane now at 16 years old, about to board an evacuation bus to leave Gotham to avoid The Scarecrow’s threats of borderline chemical warfare against Gotham. Though she has no intentions on leaving this city just yet.


	2. Miagani Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie's journey begins here at Miagani Island shortly after ironically escaping being evacuated with the rest of Gotham City's residents. It will be a long and hazardous journey to the neighboring island of Bleake but with ACE Chemicals just in the corner of her view, it's enough to keep her moving despite the hours of walking alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooo! Here we go! First chapter!

**Chapter 1**

It had taken just a few hours for Gotham to fall into utter _chaos_. Scarecrow’s threat of _practical chemical warfare_ and a forced siege on the city worked. Gothamites had flooded like lemmings without heads to the bridges leading off of Miagani and Bleake Island to evacuate. The ones who stayed behind sought the chaos and panic, to take advantage of the empty city to play. Some stayed behind to stop the ones who wished to make Gotham their very own playground. Once the militia arrived to take control, dangerous activity ramped up quickly. Fires, explosions, gun fire, it all echoed throughout the city. Every alleyway, every street, every boulevard was crawling with militia or thrill seekers. 

Gotham was at war and there was no front that was quiet that October night. 

Among the thieves, murderers and army men, Rogues continued with their own conquests. Two-Face and Penguin had seemingly joined forces temporarily, gunning down GCPD and reveling in their freedom. Harley Quinn and her men were scattered throughout the streets, robbing abandoned homes and jewelry stores all the while. Though Harley herself remained seldom seen. No one had heard from either Poison Ivy or Catwoman. At this point it was anyones’ guess on their whereabouts though rumors ran like creek water between militia that Ivy’s end was near. A fallout between her and Scarecrow had stirred up suspicions that Crane was possibly planning the death of the embodiment of Mother Nature herself. Only seen several times, Riddler kept lurking about like a shy stray cat, keeping out of the militia’s way as best as possible. From what everyone had been whispering, Riddler was more than certainly losing his grip on himself. Thinner than ever before and seeming as though he hadn’t even thought of a shower in weeks, he didn’t even look like the Edward Nigma that many could recall.  He had been broken, his mentality shattered beyond recognition, but despite all that many considered him to be the one to fill the power void left by Joker after his death. Though oddly, Nigma didn’t seem to care all that much about taking Joker’s place among the picking order of the Rogues, only focusing his attention to finally defeating the legendary Dark Knight.  As for Batman himself, many had witnessed him fighting against the militia’s forces. Most recently the practical tank that he was operating was speeding towards Chinatown in a fury. The engine caused the ground to shake beneath anyone’s feet, the force of the Batmobile rushing by was enough to send people falling over

Just more than at least a few minutes ago, a girl had slipped from the panicking crowds of Gothamites. She had slunk away from the terrified pack of people easily but upon noticing a straggler attempting to flee back into the doomed city, many called after her to come back, but alas Cassie Crane had no intentions on listening. Four years ago she had been separated from her adoptive father after he was incarcerated into Arkham Asylum. Four years ago she was told he wasn’t coming back.

Well now, Scarecrow has returned to Gotham and Cassie is dead set on finding and reuniting with him after four long, depressing years.




Screams, laughs and rapid gunfire _roared_ in Cassie’s head loudly enough to drown out any of her own thoughts. She had taken refuge in an old alleyway, burying herself in an empty dumpster. Not the best smelling hiding spot but she would take anything at this point. Anything to hide away from the militia and Two-Face’s thugs. Right between two office buildings, if she happened to raise her head up just enough to peek out the open top of the dumpster, she could _just_ make out the Western corner of ACE Chemicals, right off the coast of Bleake Island. Most of the militia vehicles and helicopters surrounded the place like a herd of prey animals protecting the younger ones from the assaults of predators. If anything, that was where Cassie was going to find Jonathan. 

But she had to get off of Miagani Island and onto Bleake. 

She had lived in Gotham her whole life yet, she had only seen and explored _so much_. If she was going to get over to Bleake, she needed help. But there  _ was _ no one to help her. She sat alone, racking at her brain to figure out a plan to get there the safest and quickest. She had to admit, she was _scared_. Jon always told her not to think of _what could happen_ , but what  _ she _ _wanted to happen_. Forget probable fate and choose your own way to go about things. **Dictate what would happen to you!**

Remembering his words sent a fresh wave of excitement through Cassie. She was going to hear his voice again, _see him again_. **She was!** And she had no room to let fate tag along! _Not today_! She didn’t escape that crowd of terrified Gothamites, punch a GCPD officer in the face and narrowly dodge being shot at just to stay hunkered down like a frightened fox being chased by hounds. 

Flipping her hood over her head and retying the laces of her converses, Cassie climbed out of the disgusting dumpster, landing onto the cement below. She took in the sound around her. Gunfire had dimmed down, signalling that the guns’ wielders had moved on somewhere further. 

Now came the hard part.

She figured the easiest way to get to Bleake would be to take Mercy Bridge, and then travel further North until she reached the GCPD Headquarters. From there, go Northwest towards the bridge that led out to ACE. This was going to take quite a while on foot. Sure Gotham was practically a ghost town, save for the criminals who stayed behind but driving was still out of the question. She didn’t know how! On foot was her best bet. Besides, driving with one blind eye wasn’t the best thing to do anyways. 

Looking upwards, Cassie spotted the North Star through the cloud cover that always seemed to hang over Gotham. It’s shine proved just enough to shyly peek through the nighttime clouds. 

_ “Stars symbolize time and space, but they can also guide your way.”  _ Cassie muttered to herself, her voice taking the form of light wispy fog in the cool Halloween night air. 

The journey would be long, dangerous and adrenaline pumping, but Cassie was ready to do anything to get to that chemical plant even if she had to kill which she still hoped to whatever higher being that happened to be watching over that she wouldn’t have to. 




Exhaustion crept at the back of Cassie’s consciousness. It felt as though she had been walking for days on end. Strangely, the chaotic activity had ceased for just a moment allowing her walk about not as elusive as she had been for the past 2 hours. Just a mile ahead, maybe two, lay Mercy Bridge. If she were to get onto Bleake, she would have to cross.

She would have to cross a bridge overrun by tanks, drones and soldiers. 

Cassie stopped dead in her tracks. The whole bridge was covered with militia artillery and men. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t unmanned. Slowly but surely, Cassie could just make out some the groups starting to disperse more onto Bleake as they retreated from the bridge. Then more groups left..and more..

The Milita were _leaving_ Mercy Bridge!

This was her chance to get over onto the other side!

..but she was still so far away..

Just when Cassie thought things couldn't get much worse, the bridge began to..rise?! **THE BRIDGE WAS RISING!**

" _NO!!_ " She shrieked out in frustration, her voice echoing and spilling into the empty streets and alleys. 

She charged forward, being pressed on by desperation and fury, her feet slamming against the tar of the road, blood roaring in her ears. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, a few flying from her eyes as she continued to run. She had walked for hours, was exhausted and was so close to the bridge! Just a little while longer and she would have been there! Cassie slowed up, choking back tears of anger as she collapsed onto the empty road below her feet and onto her knees. 

**THIS WASN'T FAIR!**

She buried her face in her hands as she wept, "I-I'm never going..t-to get over there..I-I'm t-t-too late.." She gasped out. 

All of her efforts..everything she had done to get to this point was wasted.

**EVERYTHING HAD BEEN A WASTE!**

Cassie hated feeling helpless like this. Hated feeling disappointed in herself like this. If she had just been faster, found a quicker route, left from the evacuation sooner, she might have made it there in time. And now..there was nothing she could do to get over to Bleake. Looking over to the empty street to the West, she caught sight of ACE again. 

As though she were directly speaking to Jonathan, she sobbed out, "I-I'm..sor-r-ry..I..w-won't se-e-e you a-again.."

And she stayed there, kneeling on the ground in defeat as she continued to cry over her lost efforts.




Everything had been going just as planned. Gotham citizens had made a speedy escape from their doomed city like wild animals fleeing a forest fire. Crane soaked up the panic and terror. Of course, their evacuation had been a ruse all along. There was no escaping the wide spread fear that the Cloudburst would initiate in due time. It was all just a little, "welcome home treat" for himself in all honesty. He had watched with utter glee as women, men and children fleeted their beloved homes, all scared witless of what would or could happen. Standing upon the rooftop of the ACE Chemical Plant, Jonathan let the chilly night air envelope him in a cool embrace. He breathed in deeply, despite having lost his sense of smell years ago. He cleared his head as thoughts of the past threatened to break loose. The memories of being almost completely torn to utter shreds was too much to think about at the moment. This was all to get into the right mindset. A mechanical voice sounded from behind him.

"Mercy is being raised right now. I'd suggest getting to whatever it is you're going to do." The Arkham Knight said in a slightly irritable manner. He had always had a bit of a lip to his tone and voice, one of which got on Jonathan's nerves. 

Jonathan looked over his left shoulder as that was the eye he could see best with. He turned his icy and heart gripping glare right onto Arkham Knight, never letting it falter. 

"Haven't I spoken to you before about this? I myself would suggest doing some tidying up on your tone." Jonathan rasped out. 

All the Knight did was shake his head.

"Watch it old man. Don't forget I could snap you into two whole pieces if I wanted to." Arkham Knight retorted back. 

"Ignorant brat." Jonathan muttered under his breath quiet enough for his companion to not hear him. 

Suddenly the sound of The Arkham Knight's radio went off, signifying that one of his men was attempting to get ahold of him. He promptly answered, his echoy and machine like voice resonating broadly as he spoke to his First Lieutenant.

Whatever the two happened to be discussing, it was enough to make the Knight question his Lieutenant's words.

"Woah hold on. Right the bridge is raised, that's a part of the plan....what the hell do you mean there was a kid spotted on Miagani? Does it sound like I give a damn? Get back to work or you'll be facing a demotion to Batman's little punching bag." He snarled out as he silenced his radio again.

"Apparently there's rumors that a kid is running around Miagani Island. Not sure why exactly he felt the need to tell me that." Arkham Knight huffed out annoyingly. 

Crane stayed silent as he continued to stare down the city below him. His attempts at forgetting the past were all for nothing as the mention of a lost child brought back so much to his twisted mind. 

Her dark sandy colored hair. That one smoky gray, glazed over eye. It had been four years since he had last seen Cassie, his sweet little Pumpkin. Goodness, she had to at least be 15 maybe 16 years old now. He still freshly remembered the look of horror and shock on her young face as she was told that Jonathan was going to be incarcerated into Arkham as a patient, his psychiatrist license revoked permanently. 

"Are you even listening, Crane?" The Arkham Knight hissed out.

Once receiving no reply, he turned to leave the rooftop, letting Crane be alone. 

That day had been the last he would see of her again. He had no knowledge of her still being in Gotham. Hopefully she had left long ago. Despite loving her as much as he did, Jonathan was fully aware that being a father again was out of the question. He knew that she would be much better off with a different family, far away from the city that had left him for dead. Far away from him. It's what was best for her. Though despite keeping this mindset, it still hurt to think that she was better off without him. By god he loved that kid and desperately wished to be the one to make her breakfast in the morning, take her to school, pick her up afterwards, tell her good night after a long day like he had all those years ago. That was the life Jonathan Crane had wanted. But he had let his obsessions get the better of him...

No..not his obsession with fear..he let himself get caught. That damned Bat..this was all of his fault. He was the reason Cassie was fatherless, why Jonathan was childless, why they both were without each other..This was the Dark Knight's fault and as punishment, he would be forced to watch his beloved city tear itself into pieces in fear and terror. 

And then after that..Jonathan would find Cassie, even if it meant going to the ends of the Earth to locate her. He would find her and bring her home once and for all. To make things how they should have been. 

With a fresh sense of sureness of his upcoming victory, Jonathan Crane left the rooftop of ACE to return inside the plant to get back to his work.


	3. Stone in the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bridge is up... there's no way to get over onto Bleake now without swimming. Defeated, Cassie wanders Miagani Island, lost, confused and emotionally dazed. Eventually she finds herself back where everything began all those years ago, but there's something different about the place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a huge shout out to my good friend @RiddleMeDucc who helped me out with this chapter. They're super sweet so please please go give them some love! Check out their own work as well especially their Beauty, Prince and Beast AU with their wonderful OC Maria! It's super good, well thought-out and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys AUs based off of Disney films! Again thanks for helping me out buddy!

Everything hurt. Her eyes stung from shedding unrelenting tears. Her legs ached and her chest rattled with shaky labored breaths. The bridge had risen to prevent anyone from coming onto or leaving Bleake Island. There was no possible way in  _ hell _ for Cassie to get across the raging water below. She stayed there, kneeling on the wet tar, rain soaking her to the bone. A single shiver ran up her spine as the cold bit and nipped at her skin. It felt as though she had been kneeling for hours. 

Finally deciding that it would be best for her to hide somewhere before any thugs showed themselves, Cassie picked herself from the dirt. She stumbled upon a dimly lit alleyway, devoid of life. 

_ //Well, it’s as good as anything.// _

__ She sat upon the dirty cement, leaning against the rough bricks of an apartment complex. She buried her face into her bent knees, tears no longer flowing as they had been spent. A gust of cool wind blew over her, another shiver racking her body. Craning her head to look directly towards the right to get a look of anything, she saw that she was completely and utterly alone. She didn’t want to be alone. But she had to be if she was going to live through this. 

_ //What if this was my fault?// _

The very idea of all this being because she was too slow fell upon her as she sat there.

_ //I should have just left the city… // _

_ //W-what if… Jonathan doesn’t even care anymore?// _

Cassie gently knocked at her temples with her fists, “No...  _ stop it. _ ..” She pleaded with herself. 

This was not the time to think about that. But what if… what if it was actually true? After four years would he even  _ recognize _ her? She had only managed to get a quick glimpse of Jonathan himself when he broadcasted his threats just hours earlier. His Scarecrow costume certainly looked…  _ different  _ to say the least from what she had been able to see. 

His shallow pale face was covered with what seemed to be a new burlap mask with two respirator filters peeking out from underneath. A hood shielded the rest of what Cassie had been able to see in shadows. Even his voice had changed drastically. What was at one point charming and energy-filled, was now raspy and nothing like it once was. It reminded her of a grizzled raven’s voice. 

A fresh round of tears threatened to crash through her thoughts like a wild river. Cassie couldn’t help but to let them fall. The inevitable realization of  _ everything _ that she had done having gone to waste laid upon her consciousness . Her chest heaved as her lungs fought for breath through the sobbing.

The reality of her failure felt like heavy river stones in the pit of her stomach. 

_ //I messed everything up.// _

“I failed Jonathan…” She said to herself. She couldn’t help it. The thought in her mind tumbled from her lips without even realizing it till it was too late to take the words back. 

The rain continued to fall, further soaking Cassie. Her shivering was now near uncontrollable. She had to get out of this lest she catch a death of a cold. Rising from her spot on the ground, sniffling and hiding her face within the confines of her hood, she set off to find somewhere dry to rest and wait out the night. What was the point in trying? It had all been a waste already, and she couldn’t bear to fail again. The best,, at this point,, was to hide away until everything was over with. 




Cassie had been wandering aimlessly around Miagani Island for what had felt like hours. She was in such an emotionless daze that everything felt as though she were floating. She hadn’t even begun to notice the lack of thugs and rioters on the streets. The rain still hadn’t lent up at all, only falling harder as more time passed. 

Finally, Cassie stopped. This was as far as she could go. She had actually managed to make it near Salvation Bridge. She almost hadn’t noticed that she was awfully close to the place she had grown up in; Pinkney Orphanage. There the old building sat, long abandoned and left to crumble on its own. 

It was… strange in a way. 

The old orphanage always seemed to keep with her no matter what happened. For a long while, she firmly believed that the life of a lonely child was gone. But alas, things had proved to continue despite Cassie’s beliefs. Though the building was abandoned it looked  _ different _ .  _ Much different _ . A glowing green light sat outside and green painted question marks adorned the front doors of the withering sanctuary. 

Riddler.

So this was where he had decided to make his little fox-hole?

Cassie continued on until she reached the edge of the water, instead choosing to ignore what had become of the place she grew up in. All it served was to bring up lonely memories anyhow. The familiar scent of salt hung heavily in the air, stinging her nostrils in a pleasant way. There were no boats in sight. No docks. Nothing but just the water and the hidden treasures that lay on the ocean floor below. 

The ocean had always been a fascination of Cassie’s. The strange creatures that called the waters home held a special place in her heart. Though she found comfort and curiosity from the Pacific, she was also  _ scared _ of it. At least the mysterious unexplored regions. The deep dark depths where tales of giant squids battling whales and where large vicious creatures lurked in the shadows had always been both a fascination- _ and terror _ to her. 

Cassie fondly remembered Jonathan’s own curiosity towards her feelings of the deep ocean. He often would ask her questions on what exactly made her so scared yet so  _ intrigued _ about it. 

  
  





_ “ I mean… I guess I’m so interested in the ocean  _ because  _ I’m scared of it.” She replied back, fiddling with the zipper of her jacket with one hand, her hot-cocoa with extra whipped cream and chocolate syrup in the other.  _

_ “So, let's just say for instance if you  _ were _ to swim down to the bottom, the  _ very _ bottom, you would both be curious and nervous?” Jonathan asked as he took a sip from his own drink. His right leg bouncing constantly. _

_ Cassie only shrugged, “I think I would be  _ more scared _ if I was actually down there. I just kinda like to learn about it even if it  _ does  _ scare me.”  _

_ Jonathan nodded understandingly, “Now I see where you’re coming from. You would just prefer to watch from a distance is what you’re trying to say.” _

_ Cassie almost bounced up from her spot, “Yeah!” She confirmed, taking a sip from her hot-cocoa. The sugar of the warm beverage was obviously starting to get her hyper. Jonathan chuckled quietly to himself, maybe taking an already energetic 8 year old out for a highly concentrated dose of sugar was a bad idea. Oh well, he’d suck it up and deal with the consequences later.  _

_ He drained the last of his coffee, skillfully tossing the empty cup into a nearby recycling bin. _

_ “Woah!” Cassie exclaimed, obviously impressed despite the bin being almost just a foot and a half away. Jonathan smiled warmly. _

_ “Ready to head back before it gets too cold? You can finish your cocoa on the way back home.” Jonathan asked, zipping up his coat all the way to his neck. Winter was certainly on it’s way to Gotham. _

_ “Yeah, let’s go home.” Cassie replied, taking another long sip. Jonathan slid off of the cobblestone wall first, offering his hand to take Cassie’s drink for a moment while she too left her spot. Except she didn’t. She stayed where she was. The wall was a bit high after all and Jonathan did help her up there, it would only make sense to help her down. Setting down her cup and as gently as he could, he embraced Cassie, lifting her up high into the air. She wrapped her little arms around the back of Jonathan’s neck as he supported her in his left arm. He reached down to grab the cup which contained the hot-cocoa and gave it back to Cassie who took it from his hand. _

_ “Ready to go?” Jonathan asked once again. _

_ She nodded as she took another sip.  _

_ Together they traveled back to the apartment like that, Cassie held firmly but gently in Jonathan’s left arm. She must have felt like the tallest 8 year old to have ever lived at that moment. Never did Crane think he’d find himself doing this; carrying around his little girl to go home after a day of hanging out. But by God no complaints were ever to fall from his lips.  _





Cassie hadn’t even taken note of the wetness of her cheeks. At this point she couldn’t discern between the droplets falling from her eyes as being tears, rain or the tiny pearls of saltwater that splashed up freely against the rocks of the shoreline before her. 

The echoing cry of a nearby crow broke her from her trance like state.

The corvid was but a few yards away from her, staring intently at the strange creature in front of it. It’s head tilted to one side in raw curiosity, it’s glittering beady black eyes shone in the faint light of the night. Suddenly a loud crash of thunder resonated in the heavens above, sending the crow flying off in a state of panic, cawing as it flew off towards the abandoned orphanage. It took to rest atop the ageing roof.

The stinging waves continued to crash and slam into the rocks as more rain fell from the dark shadowy clouds. A few lightning strikes slashed through the sky like the claws of a raging beast. Cassie only became colder and colder as time went on. Finally, the chattering of her teeth was enough to send her over the edge. Enough was enough. Whipping around she strode to the front doors of the orphanage, pounding hard against them only to have them swing weakly from the force of her balled fists. 

She stepped inside the dimly green lit entryway, the walls covered in luminescent spray paint. A few abandoned childrens’ toys sat undisturbed, awaiting for another young soul to find comfort in them. But alas, they would sit there with their false hope.

Stepping through the threshold of the entryway, Cassie stumbled upon a strange puzzle of sorts. The orphanage certainly had changed drastically from the years she had spent there herself. A large, bright glowing question mark lay on the ground, a mirror underneath it. In front sat a small chain link wall, preventing anyone from coming inside any further. Three smaller LED question marks sat atop of the chain link. This was obviously a puzzle made by The Riddler and most likely with the intent of having Batman solve it to delight in Nigma’s own egotistical delusions. 

Cassie approached the chain link wall. From in the darkness of what used to be the orphanage’s kitchen and dining hall, she could make out the form of,, someone,, tied to a chair. She rubbed at her eyes, actually hoping that it was just her exhaustion playing mind tricks.

No, there was definitely someone down there. 

“Hello!?” Cassie called down into the shadowy abyss below.

A female voice echoed back, “Hello? Who is that?” 

It sounded familiar yet Cassie couldn’t put her finger on who it was exactly. She dug through her memories trying to pinpoint who the voice belonged to, yet she came up empty. 

“Are you ok down there?!” Cassie called down once again.

“Well for one, I’m tied to a chair. Second of all, there’s a  _ bomb _ attached to my neck so no, I don’t suppose that I am ok. Wouldn’t you agree?” Whoever it was replied back. 

_ //A bomb?!// _

_ //Why was there a bomb around the stranger’s neck?!// _

_ //What on Earth was she doing here?// _

Questions swam through her mind like a school of fish.

“You better leave before Eddie finds you here. He might have another bomb collar waiting to be put to use.” The stranger paused, “And if there is, I’m going to put that one  _ around  _ **_his_ ** _ neck _ if I can. I might just let it  **_go off_ ** too.” She snarled fiercely. 

Whoever this was was right, it would be best to leave here before she was discovered to have trespassed. From what she had been hearing along the streets, Riddler had become more dangerous than he ever had been and was a whirlwind of a sour temper.

“I’m going to try and get you out! Just hold on!” Cassie shouted as she strood back away from the chain link wall.

“Don’t bother! It’s a waste of _ time _ … ” The woman called back, her voice hitched in her throat.

“No! I’m going to try!” Cassie argued back.

“Just go kid! Get out of here while you still can! If Eddie finds you here who knows what the  _ hell _ he’ll do!” The woman below shouted as Cassie reapproached the wall, this time moving to place her hands atop the cold thin metal to see if maybe putting weight against it would encourage it to give way.

“No! Don’t touch the-!” The stranger called out desperately, but she was too late. 

As soon as Cassie laid her hands upon the twisted and shaped steel, a large jolt of electricity shot through her hands and into her shoulders. She fell back with a start, landing on the wooden floorboards and losing all air within her lungs. Pain blossomed like a waking rose from the base of her throat to the tips of her fingers. Her head pounded from hitting against the ground and her limited vision was clouded with cycling stars as she fought to regain her breath.

Suddenly a blurry figure towered above her, their form swallowed up by shadows as Cassie fell unconscious. 


End file.
